1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mouth guard and more particularly to a mouth guard for post-intubated patients and patients undergoing a bronchoscopy or other like procedures.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Mouth guards are necessary during certain medical treatments to protect the patient's teeth and tongue, as well as any medical equipment in the patient's mouth. For example, a mouth guard is essential when treating a patient that is seizing to prevent the patient from damaging their teeth by severe clinching of the teeth in addition to protecting the patient's tongue from potential trauma that could result from biting down on it during the seizure. Alternatively, for a patient having a bronchoscopy or a similar procedure performed, the mouth guard is useful for protecting the bronchoscope or other instrument positioned in the patient's mouth.
The use of mouth guards during medical procedures is well known. U.S. Pat. No. 2,669,988 to Carpenter teaches a teeth protector that rests entirely within the patient's mouth comprising a “U-shaped web or cushion which is adapted to be clamped between the teeth of the upper and lower jaws when the device is in place for use and sufficient length to underlie all the teeth of the upper jaw and to overlie all the teeth of the lower jaw.” U.S. Pat. No. 4,112,936 to Blachly teaches a bite block with “an aperture formed centrally through the block between such surfaces and communicating between the interior and exterior of the block for matingly receiving and frictionally holding a tongue depressor type oral airway tube.” Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,911 to Luomanen teaches a bite block with the body of block “having a central channel open at the top and a pair of open side channels on either side of the central channel.”
While the prior art teaches mouth guards allowing for multiple tubes and designed to protect the teeth and tongue of patients as well as the medical equipment in the patient's mouth during intubation, the inventor has found that these mouth guards do not adequately allow medical professionals to adjust the tubes in the patient's mouth to prevent pressure sores that commonly result from long durational contact between the tube and the mouth or throat of the patient. Additionally, the inventor believes that the insertion of full mouth guards is psychologically damaging to the conscious patient because of the bulk of the common mouth guard and the instant strain on the mouth. It would therefore be desirable to develop a mouth guard that is comprised of two interlocking pieces that would result in less psychological impact on the patient during insertion of the mouth guard, and that can easily be unlocked to allow movement of tubes to prevent sores from resulting from the contact of the tubes in the patient's mouth and throat.